Written Answers Monday 12 April 2010

Scottish Executive

Community Service Orders

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20018 by Kenny MacAskill on 28 January 2010, whether it plans to collect this information in future.

Kenny MacAskill: In addition to the audit of activity I highlighted in my answer to question S3W-32623 on 9 April 2010, we are currently working in collaboration with delivery partners who deal with front-line services to review the scope and collection of criminal justice social work statistics to ensure that they will provide robust information on the delivery, uptake and impact of the Community Payback Order.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx

Equalities

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the steps it has taken to progress equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people since May 2007.

Alex Neil: In 2008, the Scottish Government welcomed the report of the Hearts and Minds Agenda Group which had considered ways of tackling negative and discriminatory attitudes towards LGBT people and which made a number of recommendations:

  http://sh45inta/Publications/2008/02/19133153/0.

  The Scottish Government responded positively to the vast majority of recommendations in its response published later that year http://sh45inta/Publications/2008/11/04154235/0.

  This report is a very important and wide ranging document, which has the potential to be the catalyst for changes in negative attitudes towards LGBT people.

  The Scottish Government is working in conjunction with the three national LGBT organisations (Stonewall, Equality Network and LGBT Youth) and the Scottish Transgender Alliance to challenge stereotypes, address negative attitudes held in respect of LGBT people and promote the inclusion of this marginalized community. Through these organisations, we are funding nine projects which are working towards achieving this aim.

  Furthermore, there has been ministerial presence at a number of events in the last few years, including Ms Sturgeon receiving the Scottish Workplace Equality Index Award from Stonewall Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government (February 2009) and her attendance at Pride in Glasgow (August 2008); Ms Robison’s launching LGBT History Month 2009 in Dundee (February 2009), and Mr Neil who hosted an LGBT Equality Seminar in Brussels (September 2009). The Scottish Government also funds LGBT Youth’s History Month project which, in 2010, celebrated its fifth successful year.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which aspects of the framework set out in the Remote and Rural Steering Group’s report, Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare , published in November 2007, have yet to be implemented.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Remote and Rural Implementation Group is responsible for monitoring implementation of the actions set out in Delivering for Remote and Rural Healthcare . Six monthly reports are published by the North of Scotland Regional Planning Group, via:

  www.nospg.nhsscotland.com.

Health

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost to the NHS was of treating knife crime-related incidents in the last year for which information is available and how this cost has changed over the last 10 years.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the cost to the NHS of treating knife crime-related incidents is not available.

Health

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on the cost to the NHS of knife crime.

Nicola Sturgeon: No information is held on the costs to the NHS of knife crime.

Health

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the initial revenue allocation was to NHS (a) Highland, (b) Orkney, (c) Shetland and (d) Western Isles in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10 and is for 2010-11, also expressed in real terms, and what the value would be expressed as an NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) target allocation.

Nicola Sturgeon: The initial revenue allocations to the four boards mentioned above were/are:

  

 NHS Board
 Baseline Allocations


 2007-08
 2008-09
 2009-10
 2010-11


 (£ million)
 (£ million)
 (£ million)
 (£ million)


 NHS Highland 
 445.8
 459.6
 469.6
 480.6


 NHS Orkney 
 28.7
 29.7
 30.5
 31.3


 NHS Shetland 
 33.9
 34.9
 35.9
 36.8


 NHS Western Isles 
 53.6
 55.2
 56.6
 58.1



  Initial allocations expressed in real terms are:

  

 NHS Board
 Baseline Allocations in Real Terms


 2007-08
 2008-09
 2009-10
 2010-11


 (£ million)
 (£ million)
 (£ million)
 (£ million)


 NHS Highland 
 476.7
 479.4
 480.1
 480.6


 NHS Orkney 
 30.7
 30.9
 31.2
 31.3


 NHS Shetland 
 36.2
 36.4
 36.7
 36.8


 NHS Western Isles 
 57.3
 57.6
 57.9
 58.1



  Note: The adjusted figures are shown at 2010-11 prices.

  If allocations were made on the basis of the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation (NRAC) target, then they would have been:

  

 NHS Board
 NRAC Target Allocations


 2007-08
 2008-09
 2009-10
 2010-11


 (£ million)
 (£ million)
 (£ million)
 (£ million)


 NHS Highland 
 447.3
 459.9
 455.1
 470.0


 NHS Orkney 
 29.1
 30.2
 30.3
 31.6


 NHS Shetland 
 31.6
 32.9
 31.8
 33.3


 NHS Western Isles 
 50.6
 51.8
 45.5
 47.0



  In real terms, the NRAC target would be:

  

 NHS Board
 NRAC Target Allocations in Real Terms


 2007-08
 2008-09
 2009-10
 2010-11


 (£ million)
 (£ million)
 (£ million)
 (£ million)


 NHS Highland 
 478.3
 479.7
 465.3
 470.0


 NHS Orkney 
 31.1
 31.5
 31.0
 31.6


 NHS Shetland 
 33.8
 34.3
 32.5
 33.3


 NHS Western Isles 
 54.1
 54.0
 46.6
 47.0



  No board will receive less funding than it does at present and any changes will be phased in over a number of years as has been the practice under both the previous SHARE and Arbuthnott formulae.

Health

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage share of total initial revenue allocation to territorial NHS boards has been given to NHS (a) Highland, (b) Orkney, (c) Shetland and (d) Western Isles for 2010-11 and what the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) target share was in each case.

Nicola Sturgeon: The percentage share of total revenue allocations to territorial NHS boards for the four boards mentioned above and their NRAC target shares are:

  

 NHS Board
 Actual
 NRAC


 NHS Highland 
 6.46%
 6.32%


 NHS Orkney 
 0.42%
 0.42%


 NHS Shetland 
 0.49%
 0.45%


 NHS Western Isles 
 0.78%
 0.63%



  No board will receive less funding than it does at present and any changes will be phased in over a number of years as has been the practice under both the previous SHARE and Arbuthnott formulae.

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many copies of the Better Together: Scotland’s Patient Experience Programme surveys have been distributed.

Nicola Sturgeon: Five hundred thousand and forty-seven, five hundred and sixty-two people have been sent a Better Together questionnaire this year. Sixty-two thousand, one hundred and eighty-two to inpatients and 485,380 to people registered with a GP.

  One million, two hundred and fifty-nine thousand and forty-nine questionnaires have been distributed as part of the Better Together Programme including first and second reminders (see table for more information).

  

 Survey
 Inpatient Survey
 GP Survey
 Total


 Total number of surveys distributed initial mail out
 62,182
 485,380
 547,562


 Total number of surveys distributed first reminder
 42,591
 354,773
 397,364


 Total number of surveys distributed second reminder
 36,127
 277,996
 314,123

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the Better Together: Scotland’s Patient Experience Programme surveys distributed have been sent to households for both a second and third time following non-response.

Nicola Sturgeon: Three hundred and ninety-seven thousand, three hundred and sixty-four people (42,591 inpatients and 354,773 people registered with a GP) were sent a first reminder.

  Three hundred and fourteen thousand, one hundred and twenty-three people (36,127 inpatients and 277,996 people registered with a GP) were sent a second reminder.

  People who informed Better Together that they did not wish to receive further correspondence, were on the General Register Office for Scotland death record, or who had already completed and returned their questionnaire to Better Together were not sent subsequent mailings.

  

 Survey
 Inpatient Survey
 GP Survey
 Total


 Total number of surveys distributed initial mail out
 62,182
 485,380
 547,562


 Total number of surveys distributed first reminder
 42,591
 354,773
 397,364


 Total number of surveys distributed second reminder
 36,127
 277,996
 314,123

Health

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive through what process the names of people asked to take part in the Better Together: Scotland’s Patient Experience Programme surveys were collated.

Nicola Sturgeon: For the Better Together Inpatient Survey each NHS boards compiled a list of patients who had been in hospital overnight in the last year for their board area. Only the last visit of each patient was used. Patients on the General Register Office for Scotland death record were removed from the sample.

  For the Better Together GP survey a list of patients registered with a GP in Scotland was used. At each GP practice a sample of patients was randomly selected to participate in the survey. Patients on the General Register Office for Scotland death record were removed from the sample.

Health

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost to NHS Lothian was of treating knife-related incidents in each of the last five years, also showing the percentage increase.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the cost of treating knife-related incidents is not available.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many disabled people have used the right to buy in each year since 1990.

Alex Neil: The Scottish Government does not collect this information for local authority tenants and the Scottish Housing Regulator does not collect this information for Registered Social Landlord tenants.

Housing

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the capital allocation for the Hjaltland Housing Association was in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10 and will be in 2010-11.

Alex Neil: The National Affordable Housing Investment Programme was announced on 25 March 2010 and the link attached details this.

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/ahip.

  The allocation in Shetland Islands Council area overall:

  (a) 2008-09 was £2.640 million, which Hjaltland Housing Association was allocated £2.6 million. Overall Shetland Islands Council outturn was £3.401 million with additional resources allocated having been added throughout the year.

  (b) 2009-10 was £3.8 million, from which Hjaltland Housing Association was allocated £3.750 million. An additional £0.693 million was added in March 2010, so the outturn for SIC area will be in the region of £4.443 million. Note: Final outturn will not be finalised until mid-April 2010.

  (c) 2010-11 overall programme for SIC will be £2.197 million, with Hjaltland receiving approximately £2 million. Programme agreements will not be issued until the end of April 2010 when final year end spend for 2009-10 has been reconciled.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated to housing associations under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme for 2009-10.

Alex Neil: The overall planned Affordable Housing Investment Programme for 2009-10 was £644 million, and this was augmented by £31 million consequentials funding in year. Details of the planned allocation to Housing Associations can be found here:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/ahip/ahip200910plannedapproval.

  This includes planned funding for the main Housing Association Programmes (Housing Association Rent and Housing Association Low Cost Home Ownership). The grant planning targets for 2009-10 to individual housing associations under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme can be found at the following web page:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/ahip/grantplanningtargets0910.

  Details of actual spend will be available when we publish our outturn report in the summer.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated for council house building under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme for 2009-10.

Alex Neil: When the 2009-10 Affordable Housing Investment Programme was announced there was no allocation made for Council House Building.

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/ahip/ahip-2009-10/.

  However, once Round One of the Council House Building Programme was progressed, there was the requirement to fund one project which was due to complete in 2009-10. This amounted to £1.025 million and funding was made available for this as part of the £31 million consequentials funding as detailed in the following link.

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/ahip/consequentials200910.

Housing

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to housing associations under the Affordable Housing Investment Programme for 2010-11.

Alex Neil: Planned funding for 2010-11 for the Affordable Housing Investment Programme was announced on 25 March 2010. Details of this can be found here:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/ahip/ahip2010-2011.

  This includes planned funding for the main Housing Association Programmes (Housing Association Rent and Housing Association Low Cost Home Ownership). We plan to issue grant planning targets to housing associations at the end of April 2010 once the actual out-turn figures for 2009-10 are known. This information will be published on the Scottish Government Website.

Justice

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the findings of the Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts, 2008-09 statistical bulletin, how many incidents of motor vehicle offences were committed in the Lothians region in each of the last three years, also broken down by (a) dangerous and careless driving, (b) drink/drug driving, (c) speeding, (d) unlawful use of vehicle, (e) vehicle defect offences and (f) other crimes.

Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32455 on 9 April 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Justice

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32154 by Kenny MacAskill on 17 March 2010, what (a) longest, (b) shortest and (c) average length of prison sentence was given to those with a charge proved under sections 52 and 52A of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2006-07, (iv) 2007-08 and (v) 2008-09.

Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons Receiving a Custodial Sentence in Scottish Courts, for Offences Under Sections 52 or 52A of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 19821, in Lothians Region, 2004-05 to 2008-09

  

 Sheriff Court/ Financial Year
 Number ofPersons
 Sentence in Days


 Minimum
 Maximum
 Average


 Edinburgh
 
 
 
 


 2004-05
 4
 243
 821
 494


 2005-06
 8
 274
 1,096
 472


 2006-07
 4
 274
 1,096
 708


 2007-08
 1
 731
 731
 731


 2008-09
 9
 182
 1,826
 622


 Haddington
 
 
 
 


 2004-05
 1
 274
 274
 274


 2005-06
 0
 0
 0
 0


 2006-07
 1
 152
 152
 152


 2007-08
 0
 0
 0
 0


 2008-09
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Linlithgow
 
 
 
 


 2004-05
 0
 0
 0
 0


 2005-06
 0
 0
 0
 0


 2006-07
 1
 152
 152
 152


 2007-08
 0
 0
 0
 0


 2008-09
 4
 122
 395
 226


 All Lothian sheriff courts
 
 
 
 


 2004-05
 5
 243
 821
 450


 2005-06
 8
 274
 1,096
 472


 2006-07
 6
 152
 1,096
 523


 2007-08
 1
 731
 731
 731


 2008-09
 13
 122
 1,826
 500



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Justice

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what disposals at Edinburgh High Court were applied to people convicted of possession of child pornography in the Lothians region in each of the last five years and what the (a) longest, (b) shortest and (c) average length of prison sentence was for such offenders.

Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table. All convictions at Edinburgh High Court for these offences resulted in a custodial sentence being imposed.

  The figures may include some cases where the offence was committed outside the Lothians region.

  Persons Receiving a Custodial Sentence at Edinburgh High Court, for Offences Under Sections 52 or 52A of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 19821, 2004-05 to 2008-09

  

 Financial Year
 Number of Persons
 Sentence in Days


 Minimum
 Maximum
 Average


 2004-05
 0
 0
 0
 0


 2005-06
 0
 0
 0
 0


 2006-07
 1
 304
 304
 304


 2007-08
 1
 1,186
 1,186
 1,186


 2008-09
 4
 731
 3,224
 1,841



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Ministerial Engagements

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it is giving ministers who are also constituency MSPs regarding official engagements within the proposed 2011 Scottish Parliament boundaries.

Bruce Crawford: The only guidance given to ministers on official engagements is that set out in the Scottish Ministerial Code, a copy of which can be found on the Scottish Government’s website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/06/18095600/0 .

NHS Hospitals

Christina McKelvie (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have received care or treatment in each year since May 2007 at (a) Monklands accident and emergency unit, (b) Ayr accident and emergency unit, (c) Aberdeen children’s cancer unit, (d) Edinburgh children’s cancer unit, (e) Vale of Leven maternity unit, (f) Inverclyde maternity unit, (g) Edinburgh neurosurgery unit, (h) Aberdeen neurosurgery unit, (i) Dundee neurosurgery unit and (j) Glasgow neurosurgery unit.

Nicola Sturgeon: The relevant NHS boards have provided the activity information requested and this is detailed in the following tables.

  (a) Total Attendances – Monklands Hospital A&E Unit

  

 Year
 Total Attendances


 May 2007 to April 2008
 66,472


 May 2008 to April 2009
 66,606


 May 2009 to February 2010*
 56,901*



  Source: NHS Lanarkshire.

  Note: *Represents 10 months of the year.

  (b) New Attenders – Ayr Hospital A&E Department

  

 Year
 New Attenders


 2006-07
 40,651


 2007-08
 40,482


 2008-09
 40,993


 2009-10*
 38,026*



  Source: NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

  Note: *From April 2009 to February 2010.

  (c) Medical Oncology Patient Activity – Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital

  

 
 2007
 2008
 2009
 2010


 Outpatients*
 
 
 
 


 Total no. of appointments attended
 393
 601
 568
 135


 Total no. of individual patients attended
 145
 158
 170
 87


 Total no. of new patients attended
 145
 65
 54
 17


 Inpatients
 
 
 
 


 Total no. of admissions
 28
 55
 149
 77


 Total no. of individual patients admitted
 10
 22
 32
 34


 Total no. of new patients admitted
 10
 18
 17
 6



  Source: NHS Grampian.

  Notes:

  Figures for 2007 are from 1 May 2007.

  Figures for 2008 and 2009 are from 1 January to 31 December.

  Figures for 2010 are up to 31 March.

  Only attended patients have been taken into account.

  *Medical Oncology Outpatient Clinic also caters to patients with non-malignant heamatological diseases along with cancer.

  (d) Patient Activity – Royal Hospital for Sick Children Cancer Centre, Edinburgh

  

 Year
 Patient Treatments


 2007-08
 2,013


 2008-09
 2,368


 April 2009 to February 2010 (11 months)
 1,908



  Source: NHS Lothian.

  The figures provided include all treatments including multiple spells of treatment for the same patient.

  (e) Patient Activity (Obstetrics only) - Vale of Leven Hospital Maternity Unit

  

 Year
 Total Outpatient Attendances
 Total Inpatientand Day Cases


 2007
 1,770
 423


 2008
 2,591
 716


 2009
 2,460
 703


 2010
 526
 189



  Source: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

  Figures are by calendar year.

  Figures for 2007 are from 1 May to 31 December.

  Figures for 2010 are from January to March.

  (f) Patient Activity (Obstetrics only) – Inverclyde Royal Hospital Maternity Unit

  

 Year
 Total Outpatient Attendances
 Total Inpatient and Day Cases


 2007
 2,872
 671


 2008
 4,450
 1,305


 2009
 4,570
 1,340


 2010
 1,222
 367



  Source: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

  Figures are by calendar year.

  Figures for 2007 are from 1 May to 31 December.

  Figures for 2010 are from January to March.

  (g) Patient Activity – Neurosurgery, Edinburgh

  

 Year
 Patient Treatments*


 2007-08
 2,985


 2008-09
 3,451


 April 2009-Feb 2010 (11 months)
 3,145



  Source: NHS Lothian

  Notes:

  The figures provided include all treatments including multiple spells of treatment for the same patient.

  *combines adult treatment (based at the Western General Hospital) and paediatric treatment (based at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children).

  (h) Neurosurgery Patient Activity – Aberdeen Royal Infirmary

  

 
 2007
 2008
 2009
 2010


 Outpatients
 
 
 
 


 Total no. of appointments attended
 1,545
 2,518
 2,425
 503


 Total no. of individual patients attended
 1,443
 2,208
 2,101
 502


 Total no. of new patients attended
 1,361
 1,654
 1,445
 273


 Inpatients
 
 
 
 


 Total no. of admissions
 1,110
 1,549
 1,781
 413


 Total no. of individual patients admitted
 789
 1,164
 1,209
 283


 Total no. of new patients admitted
 756
 1,040
 1,060
 239



  Source: NHS Grampian.

  Figures for 2007 are from 1 May 2007.

  Figures for 2008 and 2009 are from 1 January to 31 December.

  Figures for 2010 are up to 31 March.

  Only attended patients have been taken into account.

  (i) Neurosurgery Patient Activity – Tayside

  

 Year
 Patient Episodes


 May to December 2007
 739


 2008
 1,018


 2009
 1,226



  Source: NHS Tayside.

  (j) Neurosurgery Patient Activity – Glasgow

  

 Year
 Total Outpatient Attendances
 Total Inpatientand Day Cases


 2007
 3,774
 2,278


 2008
 6,215
 3,521


 2009
 6,357
 3,567


 2010
 885
 494



  Source: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

  Figures are by calendar year.

  Figures for 2007 are from 1 May to 31 December.

  Figures for 2010 are from 1 January to 28 February.